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English language - where is it going to? AIBU

(218 Posts)
TwinLolly Sat 21-Nov-20 10:33:46

Maybe I'm being unreasonable and very menopausal but there are words that are getting under my skin.

* "Co-worker" seems to be a new word for colleague.

* "Super" this and "super" that instead of "very" or "huge", etc.

* "Denied", e.g. as in "he/she was denied entry" - instead of "refused entry", or other cases where the world "refused" would make more sense than the word "denied".

* Where has the word "donated" gone to. It's now "gifted".

* I get confused when reading a newspaper or magazine article where people are now referred to by their surnames only without the Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms. I lose the plot as to who is who confused. I'd prefer to referred to as Mrs Surname or my first name.

There are other words too, but I can't think of them now.

Rant over. Sorry! blush

Chewbacca Sat 21-Nov-20 10:41:43

The English language has always evolved and always will. Whilst there are some phrases that irritate me, (such as saying myself, instead of I) I quite like to see a wider vocabulary being used; it enables greater articulacy. Anything is better than interspersing a conversation with effing and blinding simply because the user is too dumb to articulate themsleves any better! grin

Galaxy Sat 21-Nov-20 10:43:32

I think the studies show that swearing has absolutely no correlation with intelligence from what I remember.

MrsThreadgoode Sat 21-Nov-20 10:43:55

The only word (apart from swearing) that really winds me up is ‘awesome’ it makes me want to run out of the room.
Overreacting?
Probably.

Alexa Sat 21-Nov-20 10:50:33

Co-worker is not as bad as without the hyphen which is like dairy.

FannyCornforth Sat 21-Nov-20 10:51:23

I really like 'super' as an alternative to 'very'.

TwinLolly Sat 21-Nov-20 10:53:57

Chewbacca and Galaxy you are right about swearing replacing good English words! I can't stand that either.

Dad always used to say to colleagues who swore, to express themselves in better English! ???

Galaxy Sat 21-Nov-20 10:57:15

I have no problem with swearing twinlolly.

Ngaio1 Sat 21-Nov-20 10:58:56

I agree that language does evolve over time but we seems to have a huge influx of "uglies". Why on earth do we meet "with" people and not, simply, meet them. Normalcy, overly (yuck!) "like" as punctuation, the list goes on and on. Apparently, one "can "gift" land but it has turned into gifting and gifted for presents. Gift is not a verb. I do hate it when other words are used instead of verbs.

ixion Sat 21-Nov-20 11:03:39

The modern day apology -
"My bad"
?‍♀️

Jaxjacky Sat 21-Nov-20 11:38:08

I don’t mind the evolution, or swearing as long as it’s not noun, verb and adjective in the same sentence. ixion bad can also mean great or excellent, as in ‘bad shirt man’

Alegrias2 Sat 21-Nov-20 11:41:44

TwinLolly

Chewbacca and Galaxy you are right about swearing replacing good English words! I can't stand that either.

Dad always used to say to colleagues who swore, to express themselves in better English! ???

Most of the swear words I know are good examples of very old English wink

eazybee Sat 21-Nov-20 11:46:13

upcoming instead of forthcoming
upcycling instead of recycling
up-levelling instead of improving or even upgrading

Nortsat Sat 21-Nov-20 11:46:36

I have posted this before, but it bears repeating - at my GP’s surgery, there is a computer screen on which you sign in.
It says ‘Arrive me’ ...

nanasam Sat 21-Nov-20 11:47:04

I hate it when people making a request on the radio ask for a "Shaht aht"

25Avalon Sat 21-Nov-20 11:48:08

Absolutely

Gwyneth Sat 21-Nov-20 11:51:24

A little off track but the word that really gets to me is ‘empower’. It’s so over-used.

Fecklar Sat 21-Nov-20 11:53:27

It’s evolving. I used to teach English in Istanbul. I find some of it a useful different way to say something...

luluaugust Sat 21-Nov-20 11:57:26

Surely a lot of the swear words are Anglo Saxon!

JenniferEccles Sat 21-Nov-20 12:00:37

I have noticed the habit lately of people saying “I am sat here” instead of sitting.

To me I am sat seems to indicate someone picked them up and plonked them down on the seat !

Maybe it is correct but it just sounds wrong to me.

Parsley3 Sat 21-Nov-20 12:04:28

I don't mind the way that the English language has evolved during my lifetime because it is quite fascinating. I am not sure that the good English words that could replace some swear words would be welcomed in polite conversation though.

Delila Sat 21-Nov-20 12:15:16

I enjoy the rapidly changing use of language, often more expressive than the original, but “myself” is my pet hate too, Chewbacca.

Grandmabatty Sat 21-Nov-20 12:17:06

I find it fascinating how the English language has evolved over centuries and I enjoy reading the etymology of words. To me, a language which adds new words and changes the use of others, is a living language. We may not like certain words and how they're used, but enough people do use them to warrant their inclusion in every day speech or writing.

merlotgran Sat 21-Nov-20 12:24:42

Last year my DGS said he'd 'tasked his brother with putting the bins out' after I'd asked him to do it.

grin grin His brother obviously didn't 'get where he was coming from' because I ended up putting the damn things out.

Lucca Sat 21-Nov-20 12:25:23

I am withGalaxy - the thing about it showing low intelligence is a bit of an old chestnut.
I’ve been known to swear but the difference may be that I “ choose my audience” .
I get irritated with “going forward” but I realise that language must evolve.
In teaching I really found new management speak annoying blue sky thinking etc etc.
My son works in marketing and used to make up new phrases and slip them into meetings ....nobody ever questioned him!